Saturday, April 14, 2012

You win some...

Shearing Day turned out to be a bust when it came to the wool, but a boom when it came to the wood! We got Sal sheared, but it was an uphill battle the whole road. Since my used sheep clippers literally started smoking after a few minutes of use, we switched to hand shears and dog clippers instead. It took two people an hour (with several people holding him down - turns out he's a kicker) just to get one sheep done. It was hilarious, messy, stuborn work. Tim was there and took some photos as well, and I'll look forward to sharing them.

Well folks, looks like I'll be hiring the shearer this year after all. It's just too much time without the right tools. Jim McRae charges eight dollars a sheep and does an amazing job. I spent 2 hours and needed six people to save eight dollars. There's frugality and then there's just being dumb. I will let the pros take this on, and learn from them the proper way to do it with the right tools next year...Oh well. You win some, and you lose some. I lost the shearing game, but did we ever pony up after lunch!

After the shearing of Sal was completed, we had a big kitchen potluck. And when that work was all done we decided to move pile of fallen logs Brett had cut down for the new horse pasture. Using a bit of pony power, we teamed up and used a POA-sized stone boat to haul a cord of rounds out of the forest and into the splitting pile. More photos of Jasper to follow!

LOL -- sounds like me when I tried to groom my own Bichons. It's so worth the extra money to get them professionally groomed. Each dog went through a blade on a single grooming. And the blades cost upwards of $30 a piece! Better off spending $50-$60 per dog and have someone with the right equipment do it!

There is also a shearer who lives in Cambridge... Shearing properly for good quality fleeces/roving/yarn is absolutely an art that requires a lot of skill and strength. Cornell offers a course each February or March, too, if you're looking for more instruction. I have no intention of ever shearing my entire flock (not willing to risk my fleeces w/second cuts) but I think it'd be a valuable skill to have :) good luck w/ shearing day part 2!

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About Me

Enjoy the story of a young writer living in Washington County with her fancy dogs, sheep, lots of chickens, fiber & meat rabbits, geese, ducks, turkeys, a hive and a garden. Expect to hear a lot about mountain music, the civil war, local food, and my friends along the way. It's a big time folks.